The Forgotten Ones

Chapter 3

I shift in the chair, uncomfortable. I'm alive. I'm on a wall. I'm in a wheelchair. I feel helpless. Levi is standing next to me, not bothering to look down. I am helpless.
"Let me fight Levi! I could get rid of all five before anyone else dies," I want to help. I can prove myself.
Levi just shakes his head. And looks straight out. I bang my fist against the wheelchair armrest.
"It's been 3 weeks since I got hurt Levi. I'm fine! I need to fight!"
An instant goes by and he's now grasping my wrist and staring straight at me. My gaze hardens immensely.
"Maybe you've forgotten but Hanji's in charge of you. Not me. I'm not responsible for you or what you do. I'm just here to look after you while Hanji is in meeting with Erwin." He swipes his sword out of sheath and aims it at my wheel chair wheel. "Be a shame if your wheel went flat."
I growl under my breath and say, "Don't you dare."
I wrench away from his grip as Hanji comes flying up the wall with her 3D Maneuver Gear.
"I'm back!"
Levi flies off without a word. He hates me. I hate him.
"Hanji, let me fight! I could help!"
"Oh Cinder. This again?" She twirls a blade in her hand. I long for my blade. "You know I can't let you. I trust you, don't get that wrong. But, well, you know!"
Hanji goes around my wheelchair and puts her hands on the wheelchair handles.
I see myself lying on a floor. A floor of a prison. The floor is going to cave in. A titan attack. I'm going to die. A large piece of rubble falls on my good leg. I push it off with a scream of pain. Suddenly Eren, and another kid I learned to be Armin, rush in and drag me out. The both of them use their gear to drop me off on a branch of another large tree. I cling to the tree as I watch people fly around slicing the eight Titans out before they ruin anymore of the place I was under. I see Hanji come up to me and hand me a jacket. Three weeks ago. I didn't die. I should've been crushed. But Hanji sent two of the most important people in their crew to save me.
"Cinder! Are you listening to me?" I look up at her, back to reality. Hanji is really the only person I trust nowadays.
"Cinder. I said, you should try to loosen up. Work on healing that leg. It's getting better." Mhmm. Heal the leg. Get better. Whatever. I hate Levi, but three weeks ago, he decided I was worth helping and held bandages around my leg while I waited for help to arrive. Hanji had gone to get help, I was totally unable to stand then. I sigh.
I'm still unable to stand, though they gave me my fake leg back.
"Hanji, I want some gear."
"You-"
"I know I know! But I think it would really help get my leg strong again. I need some action!!"
Commander Erwin appears out of nowhere. "Great idea Cinder. I'll approve it so long as Hanji watches you like a hawk. And you answer me some questions."
"Deal," Hanji and I say at the same time.
"Great. Hanji, get her to my place and find her some gear."
I don't notice the ride to Erwin's place. Get the talking over, then I can finally fly.
Erwin's place is still messy from the attack. He sits on a couch. I sit across from him in the wheelchair.
"So," he says smoothly. "I'll ask the questions and you will answer them. I talk, you talk, that's all."
I nod my head. He can ask the questions right now. I'll ask mine later.
"Why didn't you run when Levi, Eren, and Mikasa found you? And why did you attack Levi?"
"My gear jammed and only one side was functioning. He knocked out my blade and I felt threatened. Ever heard of fending for yourself?"
"I ask the questions. Ok, so I see you're going to be stubborn and to the point. Would you elaborate on your answers? Why were you hooked up to the tree?"
"I... I knew I was going to probably cry myself to exhaustion and then sleep, so I made sure my gear was wrapped and secure around the trunk." I'm staring at the ground.
They want answers. They got answers. I might as well. I'm probably never going back. My crew, they must be gone by now. They must think Mar and I are dead. It's been a week since we were supposed to meet up. Those two knuckleheads had to have left, right?
"You obviously took a risk attacking humanity's strongest."
"Humanity's strongest? Levi?! Are you serious?" Im laughing. He may be intimidating but I don't believe he's that strong.
Erwin narrows his eyes. "Don't underestimate him Cinder. Now, why were you crying? You're not exactly the mushy type so it had to have been something important yes?"
"I had just watched my sister die. And she shouldn't have died. I was to late. I killed the titan, but she was gone. I was-"
"Cinder we are killed all the time due to Titans."
"Maybe you guys but it's rare any Forgotten die in Titan battles. Usually we die to hunger or wounds. In the last 5 years we've lost only 5% of our population. How many have you lost, you've lost more than 50%, am I right?"
Erwin looks like he's been slapped. The commander stands up. He goes over to the window and looks out, slipping his fingers through his hair.
"Cinder, could you bring the Forgotten to us?"
Words catch in my throat again. I would never betray them, I've already said so much. "No, I would never help weakling people like you. The worlds human population doesn't rely inside these walls. They rely on people much stronger who don't retreat to safe territory."
Erwin lowers his head. I might have gone to far. I just want to see my friends again to be honest. I want to go home. But that's not an option is it?
The door opens. Levi and Hange walks in. "Sir," Levi starts. He ignoring me. "There was another report of unknown personal seen right outside the wall. Two boys by the looks of it." Now Hange, Levi, and Erwin all look right at me. My eyes must tell them. The rest of my crew is still out there. They didn't leave. I look into my lap and scowl.
"Take them down. Bring them here."
"No! Erwin stop!" They can't!!
"Unless, Cinder you promise to get the Forgotten to meet us."
I'm shouting now. I wish I could stand up. "Erwin we're not like you, we don't have representatives or leaders! We're a band of people who fight as one. We're one big family who fights for one another and we're all equal. Leave them alone!" Erwin turns around finally and looks at me straight in the eye. Hange comes up behind me and sets her hands on the handles. I'm grasping the armrests with red knuckles. I'm seething mad.
"Hange. Gear Cinder up. Let's see how she fares after sitting for so many weeks." Erwin walks over to Levi and says something into his ear. Hange rolls me out of the room.
"Why didn't you just answer his questions Cinder? It was very easy and now you've made a mess." Hange sighs. I'm staring intensely into my lap. Jet. Asher. They didn't leave me. Shaking my head I feel nauseous. I'm not dumb; they're going to let me go, follow me, find them, and take all three of us back.
We stop at my quarters and I feel a small spark ignite in me. I tell Hange I can get dressed myself. She leaves saying, "I know," then closes my door. The gear and outfit is lain out on my bed. It takes effort and some struggle, but after squirming for a bit on my bed, I'm finally geared up again. I feel better already. My legs dangle off the side of my bed. I can barely reach the floor.
I need to stand to use the gear. Taking a deep breath, slowly, I stand up with the bedpost as support. I grimace and breath out through my teeth. My fist clenches. The door opens and Hange returns. Her eyes widen. "Impressive Cinder. Now let's walk to the forest." She starts walking out. I hold my hand out and yell, "Wait! Hange!"
She pokes her head back in. "Cinder if you can't walk out of your own room, how do you expect to use gear?"
"Let me try!"
"Not until you can walk on your own."
I lean my weight into my fake leg and take 4 good steps toward her. Then I fall to my knees.
"Well she got farther than I thought she would," Levi appears from around the door way. I cringe. Levi's been there the whole time. I whined like a baby, and he heard me.
Armin comes out from around Levi. I'm surprised to see him here. He looks shy, his blonde hair is messed up and he looks sleep deprived.
"Get up. Don't make me come over there," Levi is glaring at me. One day I'll wipe that glare right off and replace it with a foot.
With my hands grasping my legs I, somehow, manage to stand up. I'm wavering in my place. My head is bowed down but my breath is getting smoother. I take 5 more good steps and find myself face to face with Levi. Well, sort of. He's shorter than me by a few inches.
"Levi, you will eat your words one day," I spit. He shoves me down and kicks me backwards. He glares even harder. If that's possible.
"Armin, before I get talked to anymore by this brat, I leave her to you." Levi flips me off and walks away.
"Oh no he didn't-"
"Cinder sit down." Hange points at my bed. You and Armin are going to have a talk, then we can go out and use gear for a while." Inside I raise my fist in triumph. Outside I pout and lean on myself to get up. I plop down on the bed. Armin comes over and sits himself down next to me. Hange disappears. The conversation goes something like this.
"So."
"So."
"My name is obviously Armin. Armin Arlert. I, uh, pleased to meet you again Cinder."
"Thanks for saving me."
"Uh, yeah. No problem. So, we're not bluffing. I saw the two guys with my own eyes. Though one wore a hood, the other had jet black hair with a sly look about him."
"Jet. The hooded one is Asher. They really did come try and find me and-"
"Your sister right?"
"Yeah."
...
"Why won't you bring the Forgotten to us Cinder?"
"Because."
"Cinder please!"
"Armin please!"
"To me you're not like what Levi told me. He's just.. Levi."
"Tell me about it. I hate him."
"I can tell. But you really come to respect him."
"The Forgotten can't be brought here, Armin. It's just not possible."
"Then get your whole group to come."
"Armin use common sense here. The 'group' you talk about is hundreds maybe thousands of people who are scattered all over earth. Fending for themselves. Like you guys but we don't stay in one place for long. Sometimes we'll go back to places we once lived and grab more supplies or crops we once left behind. We're resourceful."
"So are we. In our own ways."
"Armin you're so stupid!! Can't you just realize that what you're asking of me isn't possible?!"
"I realized it the minute Levi finished telling me about you. I just wanted to see what you would say. How'd you react."
Armin knew. Of course. He's been analyzing me and my words. He's a smart kid. Probably my age though.
I've been played with.
Closing my eyes I push up onto my feet and struggle to stand.
"Armin are we done here?" I say sharply. "I think we are."
"Cinder I hate that we ruined your life, but life is hard. Life isn't fair."
"I said I'm done." I slowly hobble to the door. Armin stays put. I hear him sigh. I look back behind me at him. He's holding his head and looks depressed. Almost like he's going to cry.
"Man up Armin. What the hell is wrong with you?"
He jolts his head up and glares at me hard. He's not crying, he's angry. I back up against the wall for support and bring my injured leg up against it, balancing in my fake one. My expression stays calm and subtle. He's actually pretty cute with that angry look about him.
He surprises me with harsh words. "Cinder, you have no idea what it's like to live inside these walls. How hard it is. We lose friends and family all the time. Just because we want to abolish all of titan kind and finally be free! You somehow have the luxury life outside the walls! Why?! What do you all have that we don't?!"
"Oh there's a list. Supplies, brains, courage, number in people, a will to live, hope, skill, and more. Want the whole list?"
Armin makes a raging noise and holds his head like it's going to explode. "I CANT FIGURE IT OUT!! You live a more dangerous life than us with less technology!! How Cinder?!?? How?!?"
Oh Armin. You wall wimps know nothing. I leave without answering him. He's having a moment, and I'm so done with little brainy right know.
Finally time to fly again.